Shuswap House Boating Adventure With the Family
Cody Hammer Cody Hammer

Shuswap House Boating Adventure With the Family

August is the month that my family and I had planned our big Shuswap houseboat adventure. Our journey began in the beautiful beach town of Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada, also known as the “Houseboat Capital of Canada”. Here we rented a 14-person houseboat and set sail on the open waters of Shuswap Lake. Our boat was called the Mirage 54, and we rented it for 5 nights from a company called Sicamous Houseboats, which is situated on the shores of Mara Lake. Mara Lake is also a gorgeous lake in its own right and connects to the much larger Shuswap Lake via the Sicamous Narrows channel.

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Exploring St Kitts and Nevis: A Travel Bucket List Unlike Any Other
Cody Hammer Cody Hammer

Exploring St Kitts and Nevis: A Travel Bucket List Unlike Any Other

Located in the azure embrace of the Caribbean Sea, the twin-island federation of St Kitts and Nevis offers an experience that is as compelling as it is uncommon. This is not your typical sun-and-sand getaway; it is a journey into lush rainforests, vibrant culture, and serene beaches that feel as if they’ve been plucked from a dream. For travellers keen to tick off an extraordinary Caribbean travel bucket list, these islands deliver a tapestry of adventures that demand a place on your itinerary.

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A Guide to Dry Falls State Park, Washington
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A Guide to Dry Falls State Park, Washington

Situated in the heart of Washington State, Dry Falls State Park offers a captivating glimpse into the geological forces that shaped the Pacific Northwest. This destination, often overshadowed by more frequented natural landmarks, presents a must-see spectacle for enthusiasts of nature, hiking, and photography alike.

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Journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands: An Unconventional Travel Bucket List
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Journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands: An Unconventional Travel Bucket List

Imagine a place where the Caribbean sun kisses turquoise waters, and each island tells a story that blends history, culture, and nature in unexpected ways. The U.S. Virgin Islands, an archipelago nestled in the azure Caribbean Sea, are more than just a tropical postcard. For the keen travel enthusiast crafting a bucket list of unforgettable experiences, these islands offer a trove of lesser-known adventures and sights that defy the usual.

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Clarksville, Tennessee: A Soulful Travel Guide for the Curious Traveller
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Clarksville, Tennessee: A Soulful Travel Guide for the Curious Traveller

Clarksville, Tennessee is a place where grit meets grace, and every alleyway, diner, and river bend tells a story that demands to be savoured. Nestled on the banks of the Cumberland River and a stone’s throw from the Kentucky border, Clarksville is the kind of city that defies quick typecasting. Far from the polished tourist traps, it’s a city humming with a pulse all its own—rooted in history, charged with Southern charm, and sprinkled with a quiet defiance.

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Athens, Georgia: A Soulful Journey Off the Beaten Path
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Athens, Georgia: A Soulful Journey Off the Beaten Path

If you're on the hunt for a destination that thunders with the raw energy of Southern grit and indie spirit, Athens, Georgia demands your attention. Nestled a mere 75 miles northeast of Atlanta, Athens strikes a compelling balance between a college town’s youthful pulse and a deep-rooted cultural heritage. This isn’t the polished, picture-postcard South — it’s a genuine place where history, music, food, and locals fuse into a distinct experience.

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Medford, Oregon Travel Guide: Unearthing the Soul of the Rogue Valley
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Medford, Oregon Travel Guide: Unearthing the Soul of the Rogue Valley

Located in the heart of Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, Medford is a city that doesn’t shout for attention but quietly rewards the inquisitive traveller. It’s a patchwork of rugged landscapes, cultural nuances, and culinary surprises — a place where the Pacific Northwest’s wild heart beats with subtle grit.

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San Diego, California Travel Guide: Beyond the Surface of America’s Finest City
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San Diego, California Travel Guide: Beyond the Surface of America’s Finest City

San Diego is often painted in broad strokes—a sunny refuge of beaches and theme parks, a laid-back hotspot for tourists chasing the quintessential California dream. But to travel here with a mere checklist is to miss the city’s pulse. San Diego’s true character is an intricate tapestry of border influences, culinary defiance, and unvarnished local grit that’s waiting to be uncovered by those with curiosity and a taste for authenticity.

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Long Beach, California: An Authentic Travel Guide Beyond the Tourist Trail
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Long Beach, California: An Authentic Travel Guide Beyond the Tourist Trail

Located on the southern edge of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolitan maze lies Long Beach, California—a city often overshadowed by its glitzy neighbours yet brimming with an authenticity that demands exploration. If you’re craving a travel experience where the salty Pacific breeze carries whispers of industrial grit, cultural fusion, and uncompromising street flavour, Long Beach delivers.

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The Pulse of Santa Monica: Beyond the Beach
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The Pulse of Santa Monica: Beyond the Beach

Situated on the sun-drenched shores of Southern California, Santa Monica offers more than the postcard-perfect pier and endless blue Pacific. For the traveller willing to peel back the glossy surface, this city reveals a sophisticated tapestry of culture, cuisine, and moments that linger long after the salty air has faded. This isn’t your average travel guide. This is an unvarnished journey into the soul of Santa Monica—a place that’s equal parts laid-back beach town and nuanced urban playground.

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Santa Barbara, California Travel Guide: A Raw and Real Journey
Cody Hammer Cody Hammer

Santa Barbara, California Travel Guide: A Raw and Real Journey

Santa Barbara is often pictured as a sun-drenched postcard: palm-lined beaches, Spanish colonial architecture, and sprawling vineyards. But scratch beneath the polished veneer, and you'll find a city with an edge—a place where the Pacific's salty breeze mingles with stories of rugged fishermen, relentless vintners, and artists who sought refuge from the relentless pace of Los Angeles just 90 miles south.

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Bakersfield, California Travel Guide: A Gritty Taste of the Golden State’s Heartland
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Bakersfield, California Travel Guide: A Gritty Taste of the Golden State’s Heartland

Located in the southern end of California’s Central Valley, Bakersfield is a city that defies the polished, sanitized image often associated with Golden State tourism. It’s a place where oil rigs punctuate the horizon and country music drifts through the air alongside the aroma of smoky BBQ. Bakersfield’s soul is raw, authentic, and unapologetically rooted in working-class grit. This travel guide will take you deep into the city’s lesser-known streets and flavours, uncovering a side of California travel that’s overlooked yet richly rewarding.

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Shasta Lake, California Travel Guide
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Shasta Lake, California Travel Guide

Situated in Northern California’s rugged terrain, Shasta Lake City is not your conventional travel stop—it’s a rugged gateway to wilderness, adventure, and unexpected tranquility. This isn’t where tourists flock in droves or where polished tourist traps beckon. Instead, Shasta Lake City offers an authentic slice of Americana amidst towering pines, shimmering waters, and a landscape carved by volcanic origins.

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Fortuna, California Travel Guide
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Fortuna, California Travel Guide

Located in the heart of Humboldt County, Fortuna, California, isn’t your typical tourist hotspot. It’s a raw, unvarnished slice of the Emerald Triangle where the mist hangs heavy over towering redwoods and local secrets are tucked away in unassuming corners. A getaway for travellers hungry for authenticity rather than polished postcards, Fortuna offers an experience steeped in genuine Northern Californian grit.

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Eureka, California Travel Guide: Unearthing the Hidden Soul of the Redwood Coast
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Eureka, California Travel Guide: Unearthing the Hidden Soul of the Redwood Coast

Located along the rugged northern California coastline, Eureka stands as a testament to a bygone era of seafaring, redwood lumber, and Victorian grandeur. While it may not boast the fame of San Francisco or Los Angeles, this city offers an authentic slice of Americana infused with eclectic culture, hardy Pacific spirit, and culinary surprises—not unlike the raw, honest storytelling found in a well-worn travelogue.

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Boston Travel Guide: An Unconventional Journey Through the Cradle of American History
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Boston Travel Guide: An Unconventional Journey Through the Cradle of American History

Boston is more than just a city of cobblestone streets and colonial charm. It’s a place where grit meets grace, where the echoes of the past blend seamlessly with the pulse of modern life. If you think you know Boston from a postcard or history book, this travel guide will challenge your assumptions and lead you into the real, untamed heart of the city.

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Renton, Washington Travel Guide
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Renton, Washington Travel Guide

Situated on the southeast shore of Lake Washington, Renton, Washington, is a city often overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, Seattle and Bellevue. But for the discerning traveller seeking an unpolished, authentic slice of Pacific Northwest life, Renton offers a compelling blend of industrial grit, natural beauty, and emerging cultural vibrancy that defies easy categorization.

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Jackson, Mississippi Travel Guide: An Offbeat Culinary and Cultural Journey
Cody Hammer Cody Hammer

Jackson, Mississippi Travel Guide: An Offbeat Culinary and Cultural Journey

Located in the heart of the American South, Jackson, Mississippi is a city steeped in rich history, soulful music, and unapologetic flavour. This isn’t just a destination; it’s a raw, unvarnished experience that echoes the complexities of the South in every bite and every street corner. For travellers seeking authenticity far from the typical tourist trails, Jackson offers a tapestry of stories told through its food, art, and resilient spirit.

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Oceanside, California Travel Guide: An Unvarnished Exploration of Coastal Charm
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Oceanside, California Travel Guide: An Unvarnished Exploration of Coastal Charm

Oceanside, California—often overlooked in favour of its flashier neighbours—deserves the kind of gritty, unfiltered attention reserved for places that reveal their true selves only to those willing to beneath the surface. This coastal city isn’t just another postcard-perfect beach town; it’s a living, breathing mosaic of history, surf culture, eclectic eats, and salty local stories waiting to be tasted, heard, and lived.

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